


Fragmented Memories

by Aggression



Series: Zine Pieces [2]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Dreams and Nightmares, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Zine, Zine piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-26 03:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16673857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aggression/pseuds/Aggression
Summary: Optimus Prime receives advice from an unlikely source after a rough recharge cycle.Originally published in the Equinox MegOP fan zine.





	Fragmented Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Some minor edits made between this version and the one published in the zine (I missed some grammar things ><'')

Optimus Prime smiled, and his normally stoic Lord High Protector smiled in return. The motion forced Megatron’s cheek plates up, his more rigid facial structure bunching underneath his optics in a way Optimus always found endearing.

Megatron’s smile grew wider as he leaned closer to his Prime to whisper another insult about a senator across the room directly into Optimus’ auditory receptors. Optimus tried to glare a reprimand, but his own smile remained, ruining the effect.

The party was another among many that had been held to celebrate the discovery of the Allspark. They were both required to attend, and at this point, all of the celebrations were tedious. Optimus would rather have more time to help his division study their discoveries than have to give simplified explanations to politicians fulfilling required pleasantries.

He could trust his Science Division to have everything well and taken care of, just like how Megatron trusted his Defence Division to do the same. That did mean though that the Prime and Lord Protector had no excuse to miss the current funcion, or any of the last ten they had been forced to attend. They took turns teasing each other, reminding the other of how much longer they had to stay before they could leave without insulting someone.

“It’s been long enough. We can have another glass of high grade.”

“Finally!” Megatron faked exasperation in his voice. “You know, if you let me get so charged I destabilized at one of these things they might just start inviting us less and less.”

“No.”

“We could have a little fun.”

“No.” 

“It’d be entertaining!”

“You could take someone else to your berth to entertain you afterwards too.”

“You’re no fun.”

Optimus gave a slight shake of his head as he led their way to the bar.

The scene shifted, images blurring and colours bleeding into new shapes. It all happened in a stride; Optimus was now walking towards Megatron instead of in front of him.

Optimus’ processor registered the change of scenery, but not the unnatural fashion it happened in. This was true, just like the party with the senators had been true. The new memory continued to play.

The crystal garden was idyllic, a centrepiece for Trypticon’s legislative grounds. Megatron’s gunmetal grey frame stood out of place against the pastel background. The coloured light reflecting off of the crystals washed out against the Lord Protector’s plating. 

For a moment it was surreal. Optimus’ steps faltered as the light became too bright, technicolour rainbows shining off of pastel pink and blue crystals. It filled his vision, swallowing everything around him. He blinked, resetting his optics. Unease filled him as he reset them once, twice, and finally when he tried thrice did the light die down, Megatron suddenly in front of him with worry on his faceplates.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Maybe stress is getting to me.”

Megatron did not have to ask to what Optimus was referring to. “Leave the Ejoorians to my troops and I. There’s still so much to learn about the Allspark and the rest of the discoveries at Simfur. Your Science Division already has their servos full. Us at Defence shall take care of our enemies.”

“You’ve already driven them out of the system. What more are you going to do?”

Megatron’s facial plates bunched and interlocked in clusters to form many of his expressions. Optimus was used to seeing happiness, or questioning worry, directed to his person. His processor stalled. He could not think of a time where Megatron’s fury had been directed at him as it was now, but horrible familiarity also registered within his mind. Unease returned to his internals. The argument continued on in his processor, not as words but as impressions. Frustration, annoyance, Megatron’s anger and impatience. The impressions of the original memory file continued in his mind as he stared at the Megatron before him, his Protector’s rage blistering within body language.

Optimus’ unease became twofold. The conversation had made him worried, hesitant for the future, anxious for Megatron. And as Megatron’s expression continued to warp in front of him he began to _fear Megatron_ . What was he becoming? _What would he do?_

He had to stop him. There was a weight in his servo - no, there was new weight _to_ his servo. A sword. He had a sword built into his arm and it transformed into appearance. He lashed out in a motion that felt foreign and yet practiced.

The sword was buried into Megatron to the joint that attached it to Optimus’ arm. Megatron’s face changed from rage to utter betrayal and then back again. Optimus no longer had a sword.

Instead, he watched with horror as the Allspark melted within Megatron, burning away at the life of his Protector. Its light grew brighter and brighter and brighter and Optimus felt the burn in his own optics and his own spark and -

Optimus Prime jolted. Thankfully, he did not startle any of his troops out of their own recharge cycles. Ironhide was a few meters to his right, resting in a sitting position, shoulders and head slumped on top of his knees. Sideswipe was off in a corner, defragging in altmode.

Diego Garcia was quiet at night as most of its human occupants were asleep. Optimus left the hanger designated for the Cybertronians to recharge and defrag in with some privacy, hoping to find true seclusion.

He avoided the space Ratchet was slowly trying to create into a medbay. If the medic wasn’t recharging he usually spent his time in there.

NEST, a unit young in its formation, had only acquired Diego Garcia as a base of operation recently. There was much rearranging and set up to be done to the base so it could accommodate its alien residents.

It was not an alien resident Optimus heard shuffling around in storage. Usually, there was no one here at night, which was why Optimus had wandered to the section.

“Major Lennox.”

“Prime.”

“May I inquire as to why you are still up? You should be on your off-shift.”

Lennox shuffled boxes around, continuing grunt work that new recruits had started earlier in the day. Optimus had begun to wonder what human boundary he had accidentally stepped over when Lennox replied.

“I got the chance to have a video call with Sarah earlier. We ended up having a bit of a fight.”

Optimus had spent much of his free time since landing on Earth learning about its residents and their customs. It was prudent. Marriage, and other aspects of personal relationships had been something he focused on after devouring information on human governments structures and political systems.

“And you are moving boxes to process your… frustration?”

“To take my mind off things. Maybe. Really, I’m still thinking about it. I guess it’s just easier to think about while doing something menial.” Lennox reached down to slide a box a few feet to his left, its scrape loud against the floor. “I doubt you’re in here to move crap around like me though. Something wrong, Prime?”

Optimus hesitated. Lennox had picked up another box, but was glancing up at the Autobot.

“Humans experience dreams, correct?”

“Yep. Do you guys have something similar?”

“Defrag cycles can bring old memories up to the fore of one’s processor. They can end up warped, sometimes, because of the defragging process. Or they become jumbled together.”

“Heh, not sure if this is quite respectful to ask, but you’re saying you had a bad dream then? A nightmare?”

“That is correct."

Lennox had been walking as they talked, and he took a moment to place the box he was carrying in a pile of boxes to be sorted through. “Do you want to talk about it or should I leave you to your privacy?”

Optimus contemplated telling Lennox the relationship that once had been between Megatron and him, but that was not a luxury he could afford. A part of him wanted to talk to someone who did not know Megatron, nor him well, nor their past, but he could not guess at how the human would react. He did not want to face misunderstanding and scorn for it.

“I am not sure how much I can say.”

“Ah. You don’t have to tell me everything, you know. Doesn’t really even have to make sense to me. Maybe you just need to say something out loud.”

As Lennox was grabbing another box to move to the sorting pile, Optimus moved to sit in what little open space there was. He was a little farther away from Lennox now, but a part of him appreciated the space. “I, in a way, am like you. I am mulling over an argument.”

“A fight from way back before?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. What do you want to tell me about it? Anything?”

Optimus paused. Lennox continued his work. “I wish I could have changed the outcome, but I do not believe I could have. We seemed doomed to disagree.”

“Was the other person very important to you?”

“Yes.”

“To the point where a human would use the word “love” in some sense?”

“...Yes.”

Optimus was not looking at Lennox. He was staring up at the rooms lighting, watching dust particles float down with no real concentration. He heard Lennox grunt, and then shuffle. He presumed whatever he was lifting was notably heavier than all of the previous boxes.

“Don’t feel bad about being hung up on it then. It just shows how important the other person was to you.” A slight thump of a box being set down, and the Optimus heard Lennox walking towards him. He turned to face the human when he stopped beside him. “I take it, with the war and all, that this other person picked the other side?”

“...Correct.”

“Look, I don’t have anything in my life that’s even close to comparing to an experience like that. Maybe though, you’re still hung up on it cause you do actually think it could have turned out differently. It’s not wrong to want to see the betterment of people we care about. And well, I guess from that point I’m saying it’s not wrong to hope. Is there a chance you guys can resolve your issues?”

“No, Lennox, there no longer is.”

Silence descended; Optimus was back to watching the dust float through that air. Lennox was motionless beside him, and even through the somber mood Optimus felt growth in his respect for the Major. There were very few of his own soldiers that could stand through an unsettling situation such as this with him.

“You know, I’m going to have a chance to fix my fight with Sarah, but well, my father and I weren’t on good terms when he died. You just… Even if you had your differences there’s still a part of them you loved. You just need to focus on remembering that part. It’s bittersweet, but it does make it easier to remember them. I find it helps me acknowledge my regret that we couldn’t reconcile too.

“I had wanted to see my father become a better person. He had some beliefs I had to take a stand against, but the old man continued to hold them and discriminated against people because of them. I still loved him though. He raised me, and I’d like to think he did a good job of it. His faults don’t erase his good qualities.

“I guess I’m saying remember them for everything, Prime, faults and why you loved them both, and don’t feel bad for doing it.”

Optimus reset his optics, dust particles blurring then refocusing. He turned his head to face Lennox. “In reality, someone as young as you should not be needing to give me advice."

That broke the tension. Lennox laughed, the sound loud in the room. “You know, that might be the first joke you’ve made since landing here. The guys are never going to believe me.”

“Thank you, Major Lennox.”

“Anytime, Prime.”   

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this fic, please consider reblogging [the tumblr post for it!](http://aggressionfic.tumblr.com/post/180284245712/fragmented-memories-aggression-transformers)


End file.
